Pearl S. Buck: Hunger Makes a Thief
on Saturday, July 28, 2018Pearl S. Buck Money Quote saying anyone who would prefer survival to perishing will steal when hungry enough. Pearl S. Buck said:
“Hunger makes a thief of any man” — Pearl S. Buck
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This quote from author Pearl S. Buck suggests that hunger or the lack of access to food can drive anyone, no matter their character, to steal or take actions they otherwise would not in order to satisfy that basic human need.
The deeper interpretation is that extreme deprivation of necessities like food may compromise an individual’s ethics or moral principles in a moment of desperation. The quote highlights how hunger represents a powerful motivator that can override one’s normal inhibitions against theft or unlawful behavior as a last resort means of survival when all other options are exhausted.
It conveys how the experience of hunger may help explain if not excuse acts of theft committed solely to alleviate severe malnutrition when alternative means are unavailable.